In a recent Washington Post column (it could perhaps be better characterized as a screed), Steven Pearlstein took corporate CEOs, business owners and private equity fund managers to task for what he characterized as an excessive sense of entitlement. The column took the form of a series of "I am..." statements attributed to captains of industry and finance, such as "I am entitled to complain about the economy even when my stock price, my portfolio and my profits are at record levels."

Regardless of where you stand on Pearlstein's overall argument, doesn't the following statement from his list have a ring of truth?

I am entitled to complain about the poor quality of service provided by government agencies even as I leave my own customers on hold for 35 minutes while repeatedly telling them how important their call is.

Tom Shoop is vice president and editor in chief at Government Executive Media Group, where he oversees both print and online editorial operations. He started as associate editor of Government Executive magazine in 1989; launched the company’s flagship website, GovExec.com, in 1996; and was named editor in chief in 2007.

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